NAPO WASHINGTON REPORT

Thousands of Police Officers Attend Funeral of

Officer Rafael Ramos

On Saturday, thousands of police officers came together for the funeral of NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos.Officer Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were assassinated by an individual who used recent events, fueled and exacerbated by the media and politicians, as justification for his actions.These officers dedicated their lives to serving the public, and we are devastated by this loss.We stand with our member group, the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, and officers from across the country, as we mourn the loss of these brave men.

NAPO is not going to rest until officers receive the support and the protection that they need to do their jobs and to stay alive.We continue to urge our officers to be vigilant and stay safe during this time.Many agencies are suspending single officer patrols and doubling or tripling officers on calls.Be smart.Wear your armor.Wait for backup.Trust your instincts. Check and double check your weapons and radio.Be aware of your surroundings.Cover your back and your partner’s back.Make sure you and your partner get to the end of your shift alive and unhurt.Know that the vast majority of the public supports you and keeps you in their thoughts and prayers.The public isn’t stupid, they see what’s going on, and they are grateful for your service and protection.Spare a thought for the wives who lost their husbands, and the kids who lost their dad.Know that you are American Police Officers, the very best in the world, and we WILL get through this together.

If NAPO can offer any other support, please do not hesitate to contact our Executive Director, Bill Johnson, at bjohnson@napo.org.

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President Obama Announces Intention to Nominate Sally Yates to Serve as Next Deputy Attorney General

On December 22, 2014, President Obama announced that he intends to nominate Sally Yates, a federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Georgia, to serve as the next Deputy Attorney General.

Yates, has a record of fighting public corruption and has handled several high-profile cases, including the prosecution of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomber.

The U.S. Senate must vote to confirm Yates as Deputy Attorney General, but she will assume the job on an acting basis on January 10, 2015 while her nomination is pending.Yates will fill the vacancy left by outgoing Deputy Attorney General James Cole.

NAPO’s Executive Director, Bill Johnson, discussed this nomination with Attorney General Holder before the official announcement was made.NAPO continues to evaluate this nomination. We will not take a position for or against this nomination until we have completed our own background investigation.NAPO will keep our members updated on all new developments.

NAPO in the News

NAPO is aggressively reaching out to print, radio, and TV media to get our points across regarding the lawful use of force by police and against the political demonization of police and their unions.We encourage you to review some of the most recent articles on these issues (below), which include comments from NAPO’s Executive Director, Bill Johnson:

Johnson also provided a vigorous defense of police in a Reuters interview regarding racial profiling, as well as in an interview with Geraldo Rivera.Additionally, Johnson provided comments on the recent NYPD line of duty deaths in an interview with Hearst Television’s Washington News Bureau, which provides national and international stories to about 30 local news stations around the country.

The results include all votes that impacted NAPO’s members in the House of Representatives and Senate during the 113th Congress. The “Legislative Scorecard” includes the following documents:

A description of the votes studied during this Congress, as well as NAPO’s stance on each of the votes;

A map depicting the level of Congressional support for the law enforcement community across the country;

A chart reflecting support by political party in the House and the Senate;

A data snapshot, which summarizes the report results;

A table, which details the average level of support in the House and Senate by state; and

Excel spreadsheets, which detail House & Senate support by member, party, and state.

If you have any questions about this report, please contact Melissa Nee at: mnee@napo.org.

NAPO Supports National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

NAPO has partnered with Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) to support National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.), which is scheduled for January 9, 2015.

In light of recent negativity directed toward law enforcement nationally, there is a need to show law enforcement officers that our citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career they have chosen, in public service to us all. Each day 780,000 police officers across our country put a badge on and go to work knowing they may face extremely dangerous situations.Yet, they go to work anyway.Being a law enforcement officer is not just a job, it is a calling.

What the public doesn’t see is the toll law enforcement takes to keep our communities safe.On average, between 105 and 203 officers die in the line of duty each year; 50,000 officers are assaulted in the line of duty each year; 14,000 officers are injured in the line of duty each year; and over 300 officers commit suicide each year.There is no other profession in the world, except possibly the military, where you will find these kinds of statistics.

Law enforcement officers play such an integral part in our society.Without law enforcement officers, chaos would reign.No matter how much abuse law enforcement takes, they continue to do their job, and do it well.They are the guardians of our way of life and they deserve support.

On January 9th, we will work with C.O.P.S. to call the nation’s citizens to action in support of law enforcement.Those citizens who appreciate law enforcement and are discouraged about the negative attention being given to law enforcement are encouraged take time on Friday, January 9th to show their support.

NAPO is proud to be a part of this effort, and we encourage you to share this information with your members.(Additional information is available at the following site:http://www.nationalcops.org/).If you have any questions about L.E.A.D., please contact Bill Johnson at:bjohnson@napo.org.

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Don’t let your TOP COPS® nominations get lost in the holiday shuffle! The January 10th deadline for nominations will be here before you know it.

We ask that you help get the TOP COPS®nomination form out to officers nationwide today. Please assist us in reaching our goalto see all 50 states represented with a nomineeby posting the nomination form on your website, in your office or department,or anywhere else you find it appropriate. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: (800) 322-6276.

2015 will mark the twenty-first year NAPO has hosted the TOP COPS Awards®. With your help and partnership, TOP COPS® will be a tremendous success.

The TOP COPS Awards® Reception and Dinner will take place Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at the JW Marriott Hotel, again coinciding with National Police Week. Thank you in advance for your support.

Thomas J. Nee Bill Johnson

President Executive Director

NAPO wishes you and your family happy holidays and we look forward to working with you in the New Year!!

Please monitor NAPO’s website www.napo.org, and Facebook page: National Association of Police Organizations, and follow us on Twitter at NAPOpolice for breaking news and updates.